Spring powder in this neck of the woods is like French bread. Get it fresh and early or forget about it.
Another great day with Jasper, Jordan, Jade and Alex.
A couple of warm up laps on the Family Run and then up the Ace Quad Lift # 2 and the King Hooded Triple #3 to ski the 5-10 cm of soft snow on Center, Upper Jumbo and Lower Rinkan.
The snow stayed good all day despite the strong sunshine.
DAY 137 : SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013
2 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Another great morning of 5-15 cm of powder on Center with Jasper, Jordan, Jade and Alex.
It snowed for the first hour or so and then it was blue skies and sunshine all day.
They skied their first black today - the lower section of Jumbo - and the ungroomed areas in Upper Rinkan and underneath the Ace Pair Lift #3 between Center and the spring park on Shirikaba.
Big improvements all round.
This was the second snowiest March in the seven winters I've been keeping records with 239 cm (94") of snowfall.
There were 22 snow events in the 31 days, with the biggest 24hr snowfall of 33 cm (13").
March 2010 is the snowiest March with 271 cm (107") of snowfall.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Pedantica wrote:
Wow, just wow! And that's in a good way... apart from the hotel building!
(One day I'd like to try wagyu beef. Best start saving...)
The Restaurant Beef in Kenilworth does Wagyu, if you're ever around that way - not cheap but but not crazy either, inline with normal 'good steak' prices. It's good, but personally I find it a bit 'buttery' - I prefer a normal sirloin.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
DAY 138 : MONDAY 01 APRIL 2013
5 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Another powder top up above mid-mountain and a big mileage day on skis for Jasper, Jordan, Jade and Alex.
We warmed up on Center, Rinkan and Jumbo in Niseko Hirafu before taking Yotei Sunset down to Hanazono.
After lunch at 308 we took the lift system back over to Hirafu and finished with the black run Ni-Kabe.
They're all getting very comfortable on skis.
DAY 139 : TUESDAY 02 APRIL 2013
1 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
I woke to brilliant sunshine and a light coating of new snow but this quickly changed to a wet snow / drizzle hybrid as I drove into Hirafu.
Thankfully I was heading to higher altitudes at Kiroro with our very own Ordinary Skiier (Damien) and his wife Lyn.
Damien has been a long time follower of the season reports but this was the first time we've skied together.
They skied Niseko Hirafu with Ian on Sunday and Ian did a really good job of introducing them to my teaching style and they were eager for more.
We've had a bit of snow in these parts
There was about 5cm of new snow in the Kiroro car park and the groomed runs were in great shape and stayed great all day.
We warmed up on the green and red runs off the Yoichi #1 Express, then moved around the mountain to Center Express and the two quads to the top of the Nagamine area.
Lyn on the Nagamine #2-C red course
Damien
Lyn
Damien
Lyn and Damien with Nagamine #2-C red course in the background
Then it was up the Kiroro gondola to catch the views and ski the Asari #2-A red course
Damien and Lyn at the top of Kiroro with Mt. Yoichi-dake in the background
My final day with Jasper, Jordan, Jade and Alex. Had an excellent time with them all.
Visibility was non-existent above Ace Hill so we spent the day lapping the Holiday Pair Lift #1, the Hirafu Gondola and the Ace Quad Lift #2.
Another big leap forward with more black runs successfully tackled, including Onsenzawa.
Jordan, Jade, Alex, Japer and me at the 1,000 m Hut in Niseko Hirafu
(Grant Parker photo from Monday)
DAY 141 : THURSDAY 04 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
I spent the morning skiing a sunny Niseko Hirafu with 6-year old Niseko local Charlotte.
I first skied with Charlotte at Niseko Annupuri in early March.
We warmed up skiing the 'Boyo' green run off the Holiday Pair Lift #1 then moved on to the 'Green' and 'Senoki' green runs from the Hiarfu gondola.
With warm temperatures the Ace Quad Lift #2 center 4 was a pleasure to ride and we took the King Hooded Triple Lift #3 up to ski the 'Center' red run.
After a hot chocolate break at King Bell restaurant we did a couple more laps on 'Center' and a run on the ungroomed terrain under the Ace Pair Lift #3 before taking 'Kokutai', 'Green' and the 'King Area Access Pass' back to the gondola base area.
Throughout the morning we played the 'I'm thinking of an animal' game and Charlotte beat me fair and square. Need to up my game.
The past two seasons the only 'never ever' skier I've taught is my girlfriend Nerys.
The rest of my students have already been on skis and my goal is to make their skiing safer, easier and more enjoyable.
The biggest hurdle I have to overcome is to eliminate the 'braking plow' and its lingering after effects from the skier's arsenal.
Most children and adults learn to ski in a group lesson and for practical & safety reasons the 'braking plow' is the first thing they're taught.
Stopping by pushing the tails of the skis out, dropping the knees inside and digging the inside edges of the skis into the snow will certainly result in rapid deceleration, but when it comes time to start making turns the uphill ski is so edgded and gripped in the snow it's an enormous effort to get round smoothly. If at all.
Charlotte was no different and her go to move at the start of the day was the 'Power Plow' - the first clip in the video.
She spent the morning trying to stand taller with her hands more forward, flatenning the skis, and balancing with the pitch of the slope to accelerate through the first part of the turn.
Not getting small and back and leaning into the hill to turn.
First we started with the gliding wedge in the fall line to matching the skis parallel across the slope to complete the turn.
Then being very patient at the start of the turn, shifting the balance to the downhill ski, bending the inside knee to balance to the slope and skiing parallel through the turn making ' number 11' shapes.
It's a struggle to forget the 'braking plow' and for this reason I only teach 'never ever' skiers on a one-to-one basis teaching them to glide and accelerate in the fall line and control that acceleration by turning both skis back up the hill.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
DAY 142 : FRIDAY 05 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
A day off snow and another fabulous lunch at Chez Doudou.
First course of pumpkin gnocchi, scallop, courgette, red onion, spring onion, salad leaves, fresh herbs and a lettuce sauce.
Chez Doudou interior
Followed by Boeuf Bourguignon - tender beef with potato, turnip and carrot in a rich red wine sauce.
And for dessert, coffee and Apple Pie with hazelnut praline and a caramel & custard sauce.
For dinner I went to Niseko Pizza for owners Cezar and Keiko's 10th Wedding Anniversary celebration.
Great company and the finest Wagyu beef and lamb I've ever tasted.
DAY 143 : SATURDAY 06 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
A mixed bag weatherwise.
Cold, warm, sunny, cloudy, calm, windy.
Another day off snow kicking back and catching up with admin and tv shows.
DAY 144 : SUNDAY 07 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
The storm started just before midnight and it's been lashing it down with rain ever since.
Add high winds throughout the region and it makes for the ideal indoor day.
A lot of snow has moved in the past 12-24 hrs
Big slides in Haru no taki and Mizunosawa.
The freezing level is forecast to drop with the rain turning to snow later tonight.
Hopefully a few Spring powder days next week.
Watch this space!
DAY 145 : MONDAY 08 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Cold and dry today meant boilerplate conditions on the hill.
Not pretty.
DAY 146 : TUESDAY 09 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
A dusting of snow up high and warmer temperatures meant the Head Supershape Magnums came out of the cupboard today.
I spent the day skiing with Greg Heptonstall.
The slopes at Niseko Hirafu were deserted and it was the morning to let the skis run.
It was fabulous.
Well until it started raining just before 4pm.
Torrential for about an hour but it's stopped this evening.
Greg was slowly but surely moving away from his ingrained 'Pop & Drop' by day's end.
'Pop & Drop'?
An aggressive pole plant to start the turn then a sudden lurch into the fall line and followed by a heavy edge set and rapid decelaration across the fall line where the skier 'parks' his skis discontinuing foot pivotting and 'rides' out the 'turn'.
As night follows day, the skier runs out of space, puts even more pressure on the snow by getting smaller and smaller and the only way to get up is to repeat the 'Pop & Drop'.
Greg standing beside the Ace Pair Lift #3
And skiing it
Mr. Blue Sky
The first clip is on 'Super Course', the second on 'Large' skier's right of King Lift #4, and the final clip skier's right of the Ace Pair Lift #3.
No new snow in the Niseko Resort Area but a day of light snowfall at Kiroro with Ian and Hamilton.
After a couple of runs Ian took one for the team and stepped out of his Dynafit TLT 5 Mountain boots and stepped in to Hamilton's Tecnicas.
Ian lasted two runs and called it quits!
Hamilton found out how much easier it is to pivot skis in a lightweight boot with a more upright cuff angle.
And how he could feel the snow so much better in Dynafit bindings.
Finding centre in the fore aft plane was challenging after so many years jammed into the tongue of an alpine boot but he was certainly taller and lighter on his skis.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
DAY 150 : SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
For my last day of Shiribeshi skiing this season I headed to Kiroro with Greg and Hamilton, and today Greg "got" balancing with the pitch of the slope.
And this was continued in the steeper off groomed terrain where we surprisingly found up to knee deep powder.
Greg staying "longer for longer"
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
DAY 151 : SUNDAY 14 APRIL 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Homeward bound after another fabulous winter on Fantasy Island.
Great times and great turns with wonderful people from eight different countries.
A number whom I skied with for the first time, the majority returning students.
The youngest Charlotte aged 6, the oldest John aged 86.
I had 113 days on snow at eight ski areas - Chisenupuri, Kiroro, Niseko Moiwa, Niseko United, Noboribetsu Sun Laiva, Rusutsu, Sapporo Kokusai, and Windsor Ski Village - with the deepest turns of my life this winter.
The powder turns started on Monday 19 November 2012 and continued through to yesterday, Saturday 13 April 2013.
6 consecutive months of snowfall.
Many thanks for the patience shown by all the people I skied with, taught, and took photos & video of.
And special thanks to Jonathan & Julie Martin and Ian MacKenzie for making my season so easy and enjoyable.
The wind was far more volatile this winter than I've experienced previously - causing untold lift and ski area closures - but this was more than made up for by the extra sunshine and snowfall.
These are the snowfall measurements I recorded at MQ (Mike's Quarters) in Higashiyama
November - 146 cm (57")
December - 473 cm (186")
January - 473 cm (186") [what are the odds?]
February - 395 cm (156")
March - 239 cm (94")
April - 27 cm (11")
Total - 1745 cm (687")
That's the most snow I've shovelled in my 7 winters collecting data in the Niseko Resort Area.
Back home in Wales until November and even though the early April snow has disappeared from the mountain tops I'm not putting the skis away just yet.
I started my season on 03 November 2012 and it would be great to finish the winter with some Brecon Beacons turns.
I'm going to spend my time at home setting up my own web site and putting pen to paper for a book about my ski teaching philosophy and my experiences on snow.
Until my next Hokkaido winter,
Thank you for reading my daily updates and for commenting.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Mike Pow wrote:
DAY 148 : THURSDAY 11 APRIL 2013
We were joined by Ian for the first couple of hours and he was flying.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
